Sam United: Allardyce eyes Louis van Gaal's Old Trafford job with West Ham role in doubt

SAM ALLARDYCE wants to manage Manchester United.

The Hammers boss is under fire having seen West Ham slide down to ninth after flirting with the European positions earlier in the season.

Allardyce is out of contract in the summer and is yet to begin talks over a new deal and West Ham have only won once in the Premier League since the middle of January.

But the 60-year-old says Manchester United are the one club he really wanted to manage and that he still harbours regrets of not getting the England job when Steve McLaren was appointed in 2006.

"If I don’t say West Ham is a dream club to have managed then I would be in trouble with the West Ham fans, it has been a dream club to manage," he said on The Clare Balding Show on BT Sport when asked which club around the world he wanted to manage.

BT Sport

Sam Allardyce speaking on Thursday's Clare Balding Show on BT Sport

When I was trying to get promotion at Bolton to the First Division I used to always go and watch Manchester United play at Old Trafford

Sam Allardyce

"But for me there has always been one and that was Man United. When I was trying to get promotion at Bolton to the First Division I used to always go and watch Manchester United play at Old Trafford.

"Then playing at Old Trafford myself and going there as a manager I think in this country was the one.

"But I think the biggest disappointment for me was not being the England coach when it became touch and go between me and Steve McLaren at the end.

"I had done two interviews and Brian Barwick finally ended up ringing me saying ‘it’s between you and Steve, we’ll let you know on Thursday.’

"It was quite funny because I said ‘you do know we are playing Middlesbrough on Wednesday night at home’ – So on Wednesday night I congratulated Steve because I hadn’t had a phone call."

Sam Allardyce was speaking ahead of his appearance on the new series of The Clare Balding Show. To see the full interview watch BT Sport 1 from 10.15pm Thursday or on BBC Two at 10pm on Friday.